


Untouchable Future

by yoshizuras



Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Slow Burn, Yakuza
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-02-23 18:46:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13196301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yoshizuras/pseuds/yoshizuras
Summary: [Post SDR2] After escaping the Neo World Program with his personality still intact, Hajime begins a new life for himself as a yakuza in the Kuzuryu clan, serving as none other than a bodyguard to its boss, Fuyuhiko. However, the road to recovery isn't easy, and neither is becoming a yakuza. To make matters worse, working closely together has a funny way of bringing feelings to the surface that would otherwise stay hidden.





	1. Small Promises

**Author's Note:**

> A quick note: This fic takes place directly after the events of SDR2, and takes into consideration that all of Fuyuhiko's free time events would be complete at this point. It'll also take bits and pieces of the DR3 storyline, but altogether, it'll mostly be focused on Hajime and Fuyuhiko's work in rebuilding the clan.

It had been three days since they escaped the Neo World Program.

Jabberwock Island was quiet, even with the five of them up and walking around. The first day was spent recovering, trying to process all that had happened to them. The second day was spent coming up with a plan to stay on the island, and what they would do as the others woke up. And today, the third day, was mostly waiting. Waiting for new signs of life, waiting for reality to sink in, and waiting for the shock of it all to disappear.

Fuyuhiko spent a lot of time sitting by Peko’s pod, hoping something would happen. He knew it was too soon to expect anything, but it was better than wasting his time by wandering around the island, empty and broken. Sonia came in every now and then to tell Gundham’s sleeping form that his hamsters were doing just fine. Kazuichi followed after her, perhaps not with the best of intentions, but he made himself useful by checking over the big machine in the center of the room. Akane didn’t like hanging around (she argued that it was too gloomy and stuffy in there), so she preferred to explore the island.

Hajime stayed about as long as Fuyuhiko did, often pacing around the room, anxiously watching the pods. Despite probably being in a worse mental state than anyone else, he still took the time to check on his classmates. That included Fuyuhiko, much to his chagrin, as Hajime was always the one to nag him about eating his meals and sleeping properly. “Get some rest”, Hajime would chide him while his own eyes, shaded with obvious dark circles, were clouded with worry.

It pissed Fuyuhiko off.

The sun was already setting. Fuyuhiko decided it was time to return the the former administrative building, where they had setting up a living space. He stood up and rolled his shoulders back, trying to get rid of the stiff feeling from sitting for so long. Hajime was in the middle of his usual walk around the room, but stopped when he noticed Fuyuhiko move.

“Are you done for the day?” He asked, walking closer. Hajime smiled tiredly, glancing down at Peko’s pod.

“I guess,” Fuyuhiko replied, frowning. “What about you?”

Hajime nodded, furrowing his eyebrows. “I think so. I don’t want to stay here by myself anyway.”

Fuyuhiko silently agreed. Even though they barely talked while in the room together, it was somehow comforting just to know he was there. Otherwise, he’d start to actually agree with Akane, and the depressing atmosphere of the room would wear him down.

“What will you do when they wake up, Fuyuhiko?”

Fuyuhiko looked up, startled by Hajime’s question. He stared at his face, a tense expression washing over him as he tried to find an answer.

Hajime held up his hands defense. “I just mean… have you considered it at all? During the trial, you said that you wanted to see Peko again.”

 _He’s being nosy as always_ , Fuyuhiko thought to himself. It wasn’t exactly a trait he disliked, though. On the virtual island, he actually cherished those memories of when Hajime popped up behind him with some random present he found at the supermarket, trying to coax him to open him up to him. Fuyuhiko wished he was able to keep every random gift he’d been offered back then.

“I wanted to thank her,” He answered after a minute. “And after that… I don’t know. I don’t have a fuckin’ clue. I don’t know if she’ll remember what happened in that world, and I don’t even know if Peko will actually wake up.”

“She will,” Hajime stated bluntly. “Everyone will…I know it.”

“You sure have a lot of blind faith in miracles,” Fuyuhiko argued.

Hajime looked amused. “I have to. A miracle is the only reason why we can stand here now, as the people we were in the game. Even me… somehow.”

Fuyuhiko frowned. He would never forget the sight of Hajime when they woke up, rising out of the pod with long, dark hair that flowed down to his waist. His one, glowing red eye had seemed to see right through him. The intensity of the glare had left a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, but the feeling was easily replaced with comfort when he noticed that Hajime’s other eye was its usual soft, olive green.

Hajime’s left eye was likely the only part about him that remained of Izuru. Not long after they woke up, he’d asked Fuyuhiko to help him cut his hair. It was a healing process for Hajime, one that took weight off his shoulders both mentally and physically. And once they finished, Fuyuhiko could honestly say that it healed him, too. He was certainly no barber, but he remembered very well what Hajime looked like on the virtual island. The cutting job took up a few hours because he wanted it to be perfect, and he wanted to do whatever he could to ensure that the Hajime he knew from the game would stay in this reality.

Looking at him now, Fuyuhiko would have never believed it if someone told him that Hope’s Peak had turned him into some kind of monster. He was just Hajime, plain and simple.

“Fuyuhiko,” Hajime spoke softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Have some faith in them, just like we all had faith that the five of us would come back like this.”

“Fine,” Fuyuhiko grumbled, glancing down at Hajime’s hand. “I guess that’s all we can do at this point.”

Pleased with his answer, Hajime let go of his shoulder. Fuyuhiko felt oddly colder once he removed his touch.

“Yeah,” Hajime said, starting to walk out of the room. “But in the meantime, we should do what we can to relax here. Who knows what we’ll have to deal with once we go back to the mainland…”

“Other than those Future Foundation bastards? More despair freaks, probably,” Fuyuhiko remarked, following after him.

“Exactly why I don’t even want to think about it,” Hajime sighed.

As they left the building, all they could hear were the gentle sounds of the ocean. It was utterly peaceful, so the scenery would have been satisfying if it weren’t for the run-down, abandoned buildings in the way. Fuyuhiko watched as Hajime walked toward the shore, staring off into the distance. He always seemed to have a calming presence that made itself more prominent during quiet times like these, when Fuyuhiko would catch him lost in his own thoughts. He was grateful that someone like Hajime existed in his life, someone whose very appearance within his sight could assure him that everything was going to be okay.

“Is something wrong?” Hajime asked, peering back at Fuyuhiko.

“It’s nothing,” Fuyuhiko muttered, embarrassed that he was caught staring.

Hajime gave him a disapproving look. “If you’re stressed about something, you don’t have to deal with it on your own. Nothing good will come of that.”

Fuyuhiko rolled his eyes. He’d heard the same lecture from Hajime multiple times, and despite it coming from a good place, he never cared to listen to it.

“Worry about yourself for once, Hajime.”

“That’s kind of hard to do,” He countered. “Especially when you don’t come to eat breakfast in the morning unless I remind you.”

Fuyuhiko exhaled, annoyed. “Says the idiot who looks like he hasn’t slept well in weeks.”

Hajime blinked owlishly, then poked at the circles under his eyes.

“Is it really that obvious?” He pondered.

“Yeah,” Fuyuhiko smirked. He motioned to his own right eye, closed shut with a long, vertical scar. “I think your eyes are almost as bad-looking as mine.”

Hajime looked over Fuyuhiko’s eye, troubled. “You don’t even remember how you got that scar in reality, do you?”

“Hell no,” Fuyuhiko said. “And something tells me I won’t want to remember.”

“That’s fair,” Hajime agreed.

He then leaned in close, worriedly trying to get a better look at the scar. His face was mere inches from Fuyuhiko’s, and the latter suddenly felt tenser than he did while inside the building.

“…What the hell are you doing?” He murmured.

“I was wondering if there was some way to tell what happened to you by what the scar looks like,” Hajime answered casually. “We could make you a new eyepatch if you want one.”

“Would you stop trying to take care of me already?” Fuyuhiko scowled, putting some distance between them.

“I don’t want to,” Hajime stated bluntly.

Fuyuhiko glared him down. It annoyed him to no end when he got stubborn like this.

“Don’t give me that look,” Hajime teased, offering a smile. “We’re friends, Fuyuhiko. It’s alright for you to lean on me sometimes. I know you don’t like depending on people… but you can’t do everything on your own.”

“I’m going to have to,” Fuyuhiko said flatly. “My whole clan is probably dead. I don’t know what kind of shitty yakuza boss I’d be without anyone to work for me, but that’s the reality of it.”

“You still have Peko,” Hajime reminded him. “It’ll be hard… but you can start over and find new people to join you.”

“I’m not exactly great at talking to others. Besides, most people take one look at me and doubt I’m a yakuza in the first place.”

Hajime looked over him as if trying to figure something out.

“I think you look good,” he concluded.

Fuyuhiko felt the heat rise to his face. He hated it when Hajime looked at him with such approval, and hated it even more when he realized that he wanted that reassurance so badly.

“Shut up,” He ordered, trying to deny himself the satisfaction.

“But it’s true,” Hajime countered. “You’re a great yakuza boss. You shouldn’t put yourself down like that.”

Fuyuhiko awkwardly gave his tie a little tug as he turned away. He wasn’t accustomed to receiving genuine praise from people, but it especially made him feel odd when it came from Hajime. There were no hidden intentions behind his compliments. It wasn't just flattery aimed at someone in power; he simply enjoyed hanging out with him. No one had ordered Hajime to do any of it. Fuyuhiko had no idea where to begin in responding to his sincerity.

“What about you?” He questioned, trying to change the subject. “If I go back to work as a yakuza, where does that leave you?”

Hajime pursed his lips as he thought it over.

“I don’t know,” He finally admitted.

Fuyuhiko scowled. “Typical. You go on and on about helping me when you’re just as lost as I am.”

Hajime seemed like he was going to argue back, but decided against it at the last second. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes as if he was mulling over something. Fuyuhiko raised an eyebrow, waiting for a response.

“I know,” Hajime said.

“You know what?”

“It’s just… talking with you helped me realize something that I can do now that I’m back in this world as Hajime. I don’t have to live in Izuru’s shadow at all… I can make a new life for myself as anything I want to be.”

It bothered Fuyuhiko to hear that the whole Izuru situation was still eating at him, but that was only to be expected. It’s probably the reason why Hajime wasn’t able to sleep well in the first place. He couldn’t imagine what Hajime felt, knowing that a terrifying side of himself existed deep within his mind, and wished there was something he could do to ease his pain.

“You should do whatever you want,” Fuyuhiko started, somewhat concerned. “That’s obvious, isn’t it? You’re not Izuru. You’ll never be like that again.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

Hajime nodded, but he didn’t seem fully convinced. Fuyuhiko glared him down as he started to walk towards the old administrative building. Before Hajime could get to the door, he stepped in front of him to block his way.

“Wait,” Fuyuhiko said. “What the hell brought this on? You’re not going to do anything stupid, are you?”

Hajime laughed. “Look who’s worrying now.”

Fuyuhiko wasn’t amused. “Just answer me.”

Hajime rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. He seemed worried about the response he’d get once he answered the question.

“I’m sort of strong now,” He began. “I guess that my time as Izuru left me with a little more muscle than I remembered having. So I’d be pretty good in a fight.”

“I guess,” Fuyuhiko concurred, frowning impatiently. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“I could protect you,” Hajime added.

“I don’t need to be protected.”

“I want to protect you.”

Hajime glared at him with determination. Fuyuhiko stared him down for a minute, then stepped back in shock from the realization of what he meant.

“Don’t fuckin’ tell me…” He blurted out. “You want to be a yakuza?”

Hajime looked pleased with himself. Fuyuhiko leaned back against the door, the old floor boards beneath him creaking from the movement. He stared at him blankly, like he was waiting for him to laugh the comment off. Hajime stared back at him, waiting for a different reaction. When he didn’t get one, he rubbed at his own chin self-consciously.

“I think it’s something I’d be good at it,” He explained. “It’s not like I have anywhere to return to, so if I helped you and Peko rebuild the clan-“

“Being a yakuza isn’t a joke,” Fuyuhiko seethed. “You can’t just decide to do something like this! You could get yourself killed!”

“I’m not kidding,” Hajime asserted. “That’s why I’m asking. I want to help you, Fuyuhiko.”

Fuyuhiko exhaled loudly, as if trying to calm himself down.

“I know I kind of offered a job to you before,” He grumbled. “But I don’t want you to jump into this… especially not when you already have enough shit to be stressed about.”

“It’s not that I haven’t considered it before now,” Hajime said. “I did. I’ve been thinking about all of my options since I got here. I thought about it again and again… but talking to you today finally cleared things up.”

He put both of his hands on his shoulders this time. Fuyuhiko felt even tenser than before.

“You need yakuza underlings, and I need a place to belong as Hajime, and no one else. I can get a new start as a yakuza, and you can get the help you need, but are too stubborn to ask for. I can’t think of a better option than this.”

Fuyuhiko hesitantly tried to pull away. “It won’t work out…”

“It will,” Hajime declared, keeping a firm grasp on him. “I’ll make it work.”

He had an intense look in his eyes. It reminded Fuyuhiko of when they had escaped the virtual world, and how heroic Hajime had seemed to him back then. This side of Hajime was bold and resolute, hell-bent on doing whatever it is he set his mind to. Fuyuhiko earnestly admired this side of him, and every time he acted like this, it made it harder to push him away. He wouldn’t be able to convince him of anything else now, and he knew it.

“…Fine,” Fuyuhiko conceded. “You win.”

Hajime perked up. “You mean it?”

“Yeah,” He said. “You can join. But listen, training isn’t going to be easy by a long shot-“

“Thank you…!” Hajime interrupted, loosening his grip on his shoulders.

Fuyuhiko felt an instant of relief, but then froze as he began to move in closer. His mind felt numb when Hajime wrapped his arms around him, celebrating the occasion with a friendly hug.

“You won’t regret this,” Hajime insisted. “I’ll work hard, and everything will be fine.”

Fuyuhiko wasn’t really processing what Hajime was saying. He was too close, and almost every part of his body screamed at him to retreat. Yet, he wasn’t able to go through with it, at least not while a small part urged him to stay.

Hajime pulled away after a minute, then noticing the look on Fuyuhiko’s face. He tensed up.

“What is it?” He asked. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” Fuyuhiko managed to say while stiff as a board.

Hajime observed him for a minute longer. “…You’re still mad at me?”

“No, already!” He groaned, exasperated. “Can we just go inside the goddamn building now?!”

Hajime scratched his head. “You’re the one blocking the doorway.”

Fuyuhiko ignored him, opening the door and storming ahead to the dining area.

* * *

They were the only ones there, since the others had eaten a while ago. Even if they weren’t in the Neo World Program anymore, it felt natural for all of them to meet up for meals in the morning and afternoon. There were plenty of things to be used for food on the island, including the emergency rations left behind in the building. Hajime was a surprisingly good cook. The others did what they could to help him, but that tended to cause more issues than it solved. Sonia had no idea what anything in the kitchen was, Kazuichi only knew how to fix the appliances, and Akane would eat everything before it got to the pan. Fuyuhiko wasn’t as much of a disaster as the others, but like Sonia, he’d been served all of his meals for the majority of his life. Therefore, he took on the role of Hajime’s assistant. For tonight, the group had agreed to give Hajime a break and snack on fruit and leftovers.

“Do I have to learn how to use a sword?” Hajime asked as he grabbed an orange from the fruit basket.

Fuyuhiko gave him a confused look. “What are you talking about?”

“You know, for training,” He said, then sat down at the table, peeling the orange. “Peko uses one, so I figured it was something I’d need to know.”

“Heh,” Fuyuhiko teased. “You’d never get to Peko’s level.”

“I know that!” Hajime protested. Fuyuhiko could have sworn he looked jealous for a second. “But still, I’ll need to work with some kind of weapon, right?”

Fuyuhiko grabbed a plate of leftovers and sat across from him. He reflected on the situation as he stabbed at the food with his fork.

  
“It’s not like you _have_ to use a sword,” He said. “Besides, I think a gun might suit you better.”

“Why not both?” Hajime held up a piece of the orange, waving it slightly as he spoke. “That way, I can switch weapons depending on the situation.”

“It’s not a bad idea… but it would mean double the training for you.”

“I can handle it.”

Fuyuhiko watched as Hajime finished eating his fruit. He would never understand his unfailing confidence that any situation would work itself out. Hajime wasn’t afraid to take risks, and he saw everything through to the end. It was like he had no fear, but Fuyuhiko knew him better than that by now. Thanks to the killing game, he had witnessed many instances where the color would drain from Hajime’s face as the panic settled in. However, he always did what he could to hide it, speaking up when the others couldn’t and facing the truth without fail. That was the type of courage that Hajime possessed, and it was something that drew people in like a magnet, Fuyuhiko included.

“We’ll start tomorrow morning,” Fuyuhiko said as he ate the rest of his food. “You’ll want to be at least decent at fighting by the time we have to go back to the mainland.”

“I think I’ll be better than decent…” Hajime suggested.

“Don’t push your luck.”

Fuyuhiko stood up, taking his plate with him. He glanced down at Hajime with a chiding expression.

“You’re not even sleeping properly,” He continued. “Training is going to be a real pain in the ass if you don’t get some rest.”

Hajime laughed sheepishly. “Alright, alright. It’s not like I’m doing it on purpose, though…”

“I know,” Fuyuhiko said, displeased. “You’ve been stressing yourself out about Izuru, haven’t you?”

Hajime’s smile faded. He nodded slowly.

“Knock it off already,” Fuyuhiko grumbled, but he spoke with a gentler tone. “It’s not like Izuru is going to pop back out as soon as you fall asleep.”

“I guess not. But I still feel strange,” Hajime confessed. “I know I’m the same person that I was in the game, but despite that, I have this nagging feeling in the back of my mind. It’s like Izuru is still there, and he’s not happy about it. I’m worried that he really will come back out, or I’ll start to behave like Izuru without even noticing…”

Fuyuhiko threw his plate in the sink and crossly walked back over to Hajime. He sat down beside him this time, brazenly staring him down. Hajime was the one to shy away, tilting his head to back slightly while apprehensively meeting his gaze.  
“W-What is it…?” He stuttered.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Fuyuhiko declared.

“Huh?” He avoided looking at him now.

“I mean that Izuru isn’t going to make you disappear, dumbass!” Fuyuhiko scolded him. “I’m not going to let that happen!”

Hajime turned back to him, bewildered. The warm, curious look on his face made Fuyuhiko lose some pluck, but he bravely continued ranting anyway.

“You’re worried about Izuru taking over while you’re asleep, yeah? If that’s the problem, then all we have to do is keep an eye on you at night.”

“Would it really work?” Hajime spoke up, doubtful. “It’d inconvenience you, too.”

Fuyuhiko glared at him fiercely. “Who’s your boss, now that you’re a yakuza?”

“…You.”

“Exactly,” Fuyuhiko scoffed. “And the boss looks out for his underlings.”

Hajime shook his head. “I get what you’re saying, but how would you even do it? I’d feel terrible if you stayed up all night for my sake.”

“We wouldn’t have to go that far,” Fuyuhiko said with a shrug. “I’d just have to sleep near you.”

He didn’t get a response after that. Hajime’s eyes went wide while he sat there, dumbfounded, watching him as though he’d lost his mind. Fuyuhiko knit his brows, trying to figure out what the hell was going through Hajime’s mind.

“Uh,” Hajime uttered, and a pink color dusted his cheeks as he brought a hand up over his own mouth. “What?”

Fuyuhiko made a face, annoyed. “What don’t you get? I said I’d have to sleep…”

He suddenly stopped himself, realizing what had gotten Hajime so flustered. Fuyuhiko turned a deep shade of red and quickly channeled his embarrassment into frustration.

“T-That’s not what I fucking meant!” He shouted, clearly more flustered than angry. “Why would you even think about it like that?! You pervert!”

“P-Pervert?!” Hajime swung back around, insulted. “Look who’s talking! What was I supposed to think when you said that?!”

Fuyuhiko groaned, running his fingers through his own hair. “I _meant_ that I’d bring a cot over to your room or something…”

“So… we’re not sleeping in the same bed?”

“No!” Fuyuhiko snapped. He rubbed at his face, trying to prevent it from feeling any hotter than it already was. “We’re not sleeping together!”

Hajime choked. “I wasn’t talking about sleeping together.”

Fuyuhiko felt his blush get exponentially worse. He stood up again, facing the opposite direction as he yelled.

“Dammit! Enough of this shit! I’m going to watch over you tonight, and that’s settled! Don’t get anymore weird ideas!”

  
Hajime quickly nodded. He looked no better off than Fuyuhiko did.

“You know the plan for tonight,” Fuyuhiko exhaled, managing to calm his voice down to only a slight yell. “When you’re done here, meet me at your room!”

He peered back at Hajime, who didn’t acknowledge him because he was too busy looking at his orange peels, as if doing so would help him regain his composure. Fuyuhiko’s lip twitched.

“I’ll, uh, go back to my own room for a while,” He said as he began walking out of the dining area.

“Wait, Fuyuhiko,” Hajime lifted his head back up, a slight blush remaining on his face.

“What now?” He stopped, turning his head back enough to see Hajime from the corner of his eye.

“Thank you,” Hajime said quietly. A pleasant smile graced his features. “I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you around to worry about me.”

Fuyuhiko swallowed hard, uncomfortable from the growing feeling of warmth in the pit of his stomach. He bit his lip and leaned against the doorframe.

“Idiot,” He muttered. “That should be my line.”

Once he said his piece, he left, but he wasn’t able to get rid of the warmth he’d felt afterwards.


	2. Hope's Beginning

Fuyuhiko knew he wasn’t going to sleep well that night.

He knew it even before he had brought his cot out. Hajime watched as he dragged it across the hallway, the creaky floor boards alerting anyone nearby as to what was going on. Lucky for them, Kazuichi decided to stop by and figure out what all the commotion was about.

“Is this a sleepover?” He asked, poking his head through the doorway.

“Fuck no,” Fuyuhiko growled, setting the bed directly in front of the doorway to block him from coming inside.

Hajime sat on his bed, bewildered about the whole situation as if he still couldn’t believe this was actually happening to him. Fuyuhiko ignored both of their curious stares and began throwing some blankets onto the cot.

Kazuichi raised an eyebrow. “This looks like a sleepover to me…”

“I already said no, dumbass.”

Kazuichi pursed his lips, watching him sit down. He glanced over at Hajime, then back to Fuyuhiko.

“Can I join?” He finally asked.

“Piss off,” Fuyuhiko responded, taking off his jacket.

Kazuhichi pouted and looked to Hajime for help, who only laughed awkwardly and shrugged.

“That’s not fair!” He whined, tugging at the beanie on his head. “We’re the only guys here, so we should stick together! How could you two have a party and not invite me?!”

  
The corners of Hajime’s mouth twitched. “This clearly isn’t a party, Kazuichi…”

“What else could it be?!” He objected. “Fuyuhiko is sleeping in your room!”

“Lower your damn voice!” Fuyuhiko hissed. “It’s none of your business why I’m here!”

Hajime tried to end that line of conversation before it took a turn for the worse. “Wait, Fuyuhiko, maybe we should explain it to him…”

“You two are acting weird,” Kazuichi started.

“Then leave already,” Fuyuhiko scoffed and loosened his tie.

Kazuichi gave Fuyuhiko a long stare, then focused on Hajime, who forced a small grin, hoping that he would leave without asking anymore questions. Once Fuyuhiko took off his tie, something seemed to click in Kazuichi’s mind.

“Oh…” He gasped, bringing his hands up to his mouth. “I get it now.”

Fuyuhiko scowled. “There’s nothing to get.”

“You don’t have to be shy,” Kazuichi said as he slowly grinned. “I’ll keep it a secret!”

Hajime looked pale. “Hold on, you’re misunderstanding-“

“I said, don’t worry!” Kazuichi interrupted with gusto. “I’m your biggest supporter!”

Hajime appeared to be desperately trying to gather his thoughts. Fuyuhiko didn’t particularly care to understand what they were going on about. He laid down and rolled over on his side, leaving Hajime to deal with it.

“Have fun!” Kazuichi exclaimed with a wave, exiting the room before they had a chance to say anything else.

“Great,” Hajime said with a sigh.

He got up and walked over to the door, leaning over Fuyuhiko’s cot to close it. It went without saying that the last thing either of them needed was for Sonia and Akane to add to the confusion. As he reached over to grab the doorknob, Fuyuhiko tilted his head up to get a better look at him.

Hajime was wearing his usual clothes, minus the tie, and wore his shirt more comfortably by keeping the top few buttons undone. He seemed taller than ever from this angle. Fuyuhiko mentally cursed his own size. Along with Hajime’s frustratingly taller height, he had a handsome face, masculine yet soft enough to show his youth. In addition, just as Hajime had insisted before, his biceps and chest were more well-defined than Fuyuhiko had remembered them. All in all, Hajime represented an ideal image of a man to Fuyuhiko. It was an image that he once aspired to become like when he had begun training as a yakuza heir.

These days, however, Fuyuhiko felt satisfied with the man he was. Even if he wasn’t, he was 22 years old now, and knew that the way he looked at this point probably wasn’t going to change much in the near future. Oddly enough, he still felt an occasional, aching sense of longing when he looked at Hajime. It was a feeling he was afraid to explore any further, so he let it stay for what it was.

“Do you really think this is going to work?” Hajime pondered. He turned off the lights and walked back to his own bed.

Fuyuhiko tore his eye away from him and moved to his back, facing the ceiling. “Of course it is. I’m a light sleeper, so if anything happens, I’ll wake up.”

“And if Izuru takes over my mind while we’re both asleep?”

“Then I’ll beat the shit out of him when I wake up.”

Hajime scrunched up his nose. “That would mean you’d be beating me up, too… “

“It’s not like you have any better ideas,” Fuyuhiko huffed.

“You have a point,” Hajime begrudgingly agreed.

Fuyuhiko closed his eyes. “Good. Then go to sleep already and leave Izuru to me.”

Hajime frowned. He laid on his side and pulled the blankets over himself. The small, office-turned-bedroom that they stayed in was only quiet for a few minutes.

“Fuyuhiko?”

“What is it now?”

Hajime spoke in a light, soothing tone. “You’ve changed a lot. I was thinking back to when I first met you in the virtual world. During that time, I honestly never would have believed it if someone told me that you’d be looking out for me like this.”

“Idiot,” Fuyuhiko muttered. “Of course I’d look out for you. I’ve said it before, haven’t I? I owe you half of my life.”

Hajime turned his head to face him. Fuyuhiko could faintly see his warm expression in the dark.

“What did you even mean by that? I never thought to ask,” Hajime mused, his voice as soft as his smile.

Fuyuhiko paused. He hated having to explain his feelings out loud, especially when he didn’t think much on them himself. However, if Hajime, who seemed to get endless entertainment from learning new things about him, wanted to know it, he couldn’t bring himself to deny him. Especially not when he watched him so expectantly, with that curious glint to his eyes.

“You saved me,” Fuyuhiko started. Each word felt stuck in his throat.

“I did?” Hajime asked, trying to coax him into explaining. “I can’t think of anything special I did for you.”

“Peko saved my life in that game,” Fuyuhiko continued. “She’s the reason I’m not sleeping in one of those pods right now. But you… if it weren’t for you, I would have lost myself when I was there anyway.”

Hajime was quiet. Perhaps from his nerves getting the better of him, Fuyuhiko went on.

“In that world and this one, you were my first real friend. Ever since I was little, the only people who got to know me were on fuckin’ orders to do it. They hung around because they were supposed to, and I accepted that it would be how my relationships with others worked. I don’t know why the hell you would, but you stayed by my side without any of that.”

“Fuyuhiko…”

“So, thanks,” Fuyuhiko finished curtly. “That’s all.”

He pulled his blankets over himself, hoping Hajime would take it as a sign to end the questioning there. It was a wasted effort, though, since he continued to watch him with that same, earnest expression on his face.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Hajime said. “I wanted to stay by your side.”

Once Hajime saw that Fuyuhiko had turned away as if he were asleep, he went on without waiting for a response.

“You say that I saved you,” He said. “But I could say the same for you. I might have given up if you weren’t there to push me forward.”

Fuyuhiko refused to say anything else. His chest felt heavy as he listened to Hajime speak, but not in a painful way. It was like the weight of Hajime’s kindness was crushing the old, wrathful parts of Fuyuhiko’s personality, allowing the better parts of himself to rise to the surface. It was a curious feeling, but the looseness of it made Fuyuhiko anxious over what it would lead him to say next. Luckily, Hajime understood him better at this point than to force him to talk when he didn’t want to.

“I’m glad you’re here with me, Fuyuhiko,” He concluded. “I think I’ll sleep well tonight.”

Fuyuhiko inhaled sharply. He felt flustered again, unsure of how to make sense of the effect that Hajime’s simple words had on him.

Both of them were silent after that, so it was safe to assume that Hajime had fallen asleep not long after their conversation. It was peaceful, but Fuyuhiko’s mind was anything but calm. He still felt oddly tense having someone sleep so close to him. He’d never experienced it until now, thanks his pampered lifestyle as a yakuza heir, and the fact that it was Hajime made it all the more troublesome. Even if he somehow got used to it, his mind wouldn’t be able to quit thinking about having him as a bodyguard, rebuilding the clan, and what it meant to feel so hopeful about their new life together.

It took a few more hours for Fuyuhiko to fall asleep, lulled to rest by the sounds of Hajime’s breathing.

* * *

 

“You’re not mad, are you?”

It was early in the morning. Hajime could be heard chasing Fuyuhiko down the hall, nearly slipping on the floor as he caught up.

“I told you, I’m not mad!” Fuyuhiko snapped, trying to get ahead of him again. It didn’t work, especially not when Hajime’s legs were twice as long as his.

“You definitely sound mad…” Hajime muttered.

They headed out of the building towards an empty clearing. It was right next to the beach, so there was a gentle ocean breeze surrounding them. Fuyuhiko liked the openness of it and figured it would keep him relaxed during training. He stretched his arms as Hajime watched him uncertainly.

“I still feel bad about waking you up like that,” He said apologetically. “I should have warned you that I sleepwalk sometimes…”

Fuyuhiko yawned. “It’s not like you did it on purpose, dumbass.”

“I guess,” Hajime said with a frown.

He rubbed his chin and he watched Fuyuhiko, cheering up a little. “Either way, let me know if there’s anything I can do to make it up to you. I slept really well last night, for what feels like the first time in a long time.”

“I told you it’d work,” Fuyuhiko smirked, pleased with himself. “Now focus on stretching before we start.”

When Hajime started his stretches, Fuyuhiko did similar movements nearby and looked out to the ocean. He did what he could to hide it, but he still felt out of sorts about the way he woke up.

The cot barricading the door was useful in case Izuru wanted to escape, but what they didn’t know was that it doubled as an effective way to stop a sleepwalking Hajime from leaving the room. Fuyuhiko had been fast asleep when Hajime supposedly rose out from bed, stumbling towards the door. Sleepwalking Hajime evidently forgot about Fuyuhiko’s cot being in the way, and tripped over it in the loudest way possible. The noise woke Fuyuhiko up, and to his surprise, ended in him tumbling over with the cot on top of Hajime, who was also now awake.

That was how Fuyuhiko started his morning, with his face buried in Hajime’s chest while they laid on the floor in a tangle of limbs. He wasn’t so mad about it as he was annoyed that he was having trouble getting his heartbeat to calm down afterwards.

“What kind of training are we going to start with?” Hajime wondered.

“Endurance,” Fuyuhiko replied, turning back to him with a commanding stare.

Hajime blinked owlishly. “That’s pretty normal.”

“Heh,” Fuyuhiko scoffed, amused at his reaction. “Being a yakuza isn’t guns and swords all of the time. Especially if you’re aiming to be a bodyguard.”

Hajime furrowed his eyebrows. Fuyuhiko pointed at him accusingly and continued with a smug look.

“You’re running laps today.”

“Ugh,” Hajime’s face fell like he was expecting to hear that. “All day?”

“Nah,” Fuyuhiko waved a hand dismissively. “You’ll do strength training later.”

Hajime forced a smile. “Sounds great…”

Fuyuhiko gave him a reassuring pat on the back, then began jogging ahead. They ran along the shore, trying to get as far around the central island as they could.

If there were any physical activities Fuyuhiko liked, it would be running. He was never good at fighting or weight lifting like most yakuza were, so he stuck to honing the one skill he could do decently. It was useful to him either way, since he’d need to be able to dodge quickly during a battle. He also knew a few basic self-defense moves, but for the most part, he didn’t have to use them. Peko usually sliced down anyone in his way.

However, once he lost Peko, he realized that he needed to stop depending on people for everything. He cursed his own weakness for leading him to lose all of the people that he cared about. He wanted to change, but becoming independent became increasingly harder to do as it became easier to depend on Hajime’s kindness and strength. Hajime was a source of stability for him during their time in the virtual world. He was dependable, brave, and was always around for comfort. When he offered to be his bodyguard, Fuyuhiko had initially felt fear over putting his life in danger. Conflictingly, the more he thought about it, the more relieved he felt that he wouldn’t be alone, and that someone like Hajime would be a constant presence in his life.

Fuyuhiko hated how weak he was, but he couldn’t stop himself from leaning on Hajime.

As far as training went, Fuyuhiko picked running as their first activity so that Hajime could see his cool side, at least in the beginning. It didn’t work out as he’d hoped, since Hajime was evidently a much better runner than he assumed. He was beginning to really hate Hajime’s long legs.

It didn’t take an hour for Fuyuhiko to stop, bending over to catch his breath. With a look of concern, Hajime came to a stop and jogged back to his side.

“Are you alright?” He asked, wiping the sweat from his own forehead.

“Dammit,” Fuyuhiko breathed, trying to come off as less tired than he actually was. “I’m fine.”

Hajime wasn’t buying it. “We should head back and take a break.”

“You can’t quit now,” Fuyuhiko argued, glaring him down. “It’s not training unless you challenge yourself… and I know you aren’t done yet.”

Hajime observed him, frowning pensively as if he was trying to come up with a solution that didn’t involve Fuyuhiko passing out on the sand. He then perked up, smiling pleasantly.

“What if I trained harder this time?”

Fuyuhiko’s jaw clenched. He knew he probably wasn’t going to last if training got any more difficult than this, but he’d be damned if he held Hajime back from getting stronger. Reluctantly, he decided to hear him out.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Well,” Hajime began. “It’s probably easier for me to just show you.”

“Do whatever you want,” Fuyuhiko said listlessly.

He wasn’t expecting Hajime to come up with anything other than some weird arm movements to do during the run. It took him by complete surprise when he knelt down and slung Fuyuhiko’s arm over his shoulder.

“What the hell are you-?”

The rest of his words got caught in his mouth when Hajime lifted him up and positioned him over his back. Startled, Fuyuhiko wrapped his arms around Hajime’s neck to grip at his shirt. While Fuyuhiko was still trying to understand what was happening to him, Hajime walked off the shore and in the direction of the building. He held onto Fuyuhiko’s legs, content as he carried him along.

“This counts as strength training, right?” Hajime said softly. “I’ll carry you all the way back.”

Fuyuhiko felt his heart race again. If he wasn’t already exhausted, he would have pulled himself off within seconds. The problem was that he was too tired to argue with Hajime, and even if that wasn’t the case, something about this felt too comfortable to pull away from. Despite his better judgement, Fuyuhiko rested his head against the back of Hajime’s neck.

“This is one of the worst ideas you’ve ever had,” He grumbled.

“I’m not so sure about that.”

“I’m your boss,” Fuyuhiko said bitterly. “You shouldn’t have to carry me around. I need to be able to stand on my own two feet.”

Hajime peered back at him. “You shouldn’t push yourself so hard, Fuyuhiko. Being the boss doesn’t mean that you can’t ask for help.”

Fuyuhiko scoffed. “It seems like all I ever do is ask for help. I’m fucking pathetic.”

“Don’t talk about yourself like that,” Hajime argued. “You’re a strong person.”

“Bullshit.”

“I’m serious!” He insisted. “Do you remember that time when you charged right into Peko’s execution and came out of it alive?”

“I couldn’t forget it if I tried,” Fuyuhiko mumbled. “It was my fault that she died.”

“You’re wrong!” Hajime’s eyes narrowed. “Monokuma would have killed her either way. You can’t blame yourself for any of that.”

Fuyuhiko’s throat felt dry. He chose not to respond, tightening his grip on him.

“Fuyuhiko,” Hajime said, his voice gentler this time. “You’re amazing. We were all afraid that you would die at that time. No one could have guessed that you’d come back to us so differently.”

He grinned as he remembered it, then continued. “You worked so hard to change. When you introduced yourself to us for the first time after that incident, I actually thought you were kind of cool.”

Fuyuhiko blushed. He cleared his throat and turned his head away from him slightly.

“Don’t be an idiot,” He said in a rough voice, hiding his embarrassment. “There’s nothing cool about some bastard who screws up an introduction by slitting his stomach at the end.”

Hajime stifled a laugh. “Yeah, everything except that part, I guess. You practically gave me a heart attack when I saw all of that blood.”

Fuyuhiko couldn’t help but smile. “It’s not like you haven’t seen your fair share of blood at this point.”

“It was different in your case.”

Fuyuhiko blinked. “What?”

Hajime bit at his lip, seemingly hesitant to answer him.

“It was just different,” He admitted. “I couldn’t stop worrying about you after that trial. I wanted you to come back to us, and when you did, it was like a huge weight came off my chest. So seeing you all bloody like that… I was scared to lose you again.”

Fuyuhiko stared down at him in shock. None of it made sense to him. After the stunt he pulled, no one should have been happy to see him again. His chest felt warm to be spoken of so fondly, especially considering who it came from. As always, Hajime exceeded all expectations.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Fuyuhiko spoke quietly. “I already promised you that.”

“I know,” Hajime said sincerely. “And I promised you the same.”

They listened to the sound of waves until they came within sight of the building. Fuyuhiko had loosened his grip on Hajime, now relaxed enough to not feel shy about hanging off of him. He almost didn’t want to get off, and it seemed like Hajime didn’t want him to either. In the end, Fuyuhiko’s desire to avoid an embarrassing situation won out over his urge to continue being carried by Hajime. He patted his shoulder to get his attention.

“Hey,” He sighed. “Let me down.”

Hajime stopped walking. He reluctantly complied, kneeling down to let Fuyuhiko hop off of him. Fuyuhiko stood up and rubbed his temples, trying to shake off the hazy, complacent feeling that remained from their time together. Hajime rolled back his shoulders and stretched his arms.

“You’re surprisingly light,” He commented, nudging Fuyuhiko.

“Tell anyone that and you’ll regret it.”

The corners of Hajime’s mouth turned up. “Got it.”

They walked back the the building together only to see Sonia rushing out the doors in a panic. She nearly ran into them, but skidded to a halt right before she barreled over Fuyuhiko, who stumbled back into Hajime.

“Hajime! Fuyuhiko!” She greeted them, exasperated.

“Is something wrong?” Hajime asked, resting a hand on Fuyuhiko’s shoulder to steady him.

“There is big news!” She cried, clasping her hands together. “We must hurry!”

“‘Big news’?” Fuyuhiko crossed his arms. “Did Akane find some kind of weird animal to fight with again?”

“Certainly not!” Sonia began running ahead of them. “You must come with me.”

She waved for them to follow her. Hajime and Fuyuhiko gave each other a look but did as she requested. Sonia ran towards the secluded, mechanical building that housed the Neo World Program, came to a stop, then turned back to yell out to them.

“Nagito is awake!”

Fuyuhiko stopped in his tracks, instantly consumed with relief, anxiety, and awe all at the same time. He peered up at Hajime, who stopped from the shock as well. Before he could say a word, Hajime rushed into the building, likely to confirm what he’d heard. Fuyuhiko swallowed hard and raced after him.

Inside the building, Nagito sat up in his pod, staring off into the distance. His messy white hair seemed even more disheveled now that it had grown longer, but otherwise, he seemed to be the same person they knew from the game. All the same, except for the copious amount of white bandages that now covered his arm. Kazuichi sat by his side, struggling to complete the odd arrangement of bandages that he’d started.

“Hajime… hello,” Nagito smiled amicably despite his dazed expression. “Can you believe it? The fact that I’m alive like this… I really am the Ultimate Hope.”

For the first time, Fuyuhiko felt lighter as he listened to Nagito talk. He was awake and he remembered everything from the game. He didn’t buy any of his “Ultimate Hope” talk, but seeing Nagito like this gave him more hope than he knew possible in their situation. Nagito’s recovery signaled the beginning of everyone else’s recovery, and the possibility of all of them living a normal life again suddenly became very real.

Hajime exhaled in relief, smiling widely. “I’m glad you’re alright, Nagito. How do you feel?”

Nagito pursed his lips and looked down at himself. “Strangely, I feel good. My arm hurts, but that’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“Of course it’s gonna hurt,” Kazuichi said, finishing up by tying the ends of the bandages. “There’s some creepy girl’s hand where your own hand is supposed to be!”

Sonia frowned. “‘That wouldn’t be Junko Enoshima’s hand, would it?”

Nagito tilted his head, staring at Sonia and Fuyuhiko like he didn’t even notice they were there until now. “Oh… probably. I don’t remember. I should get rid of it as soon as possible.”

“No kidding!” Kazuichi huffed. “You’re lucky I know how to make prosthetics.”

“Wow,” Nagito mused, staring down at his poorly bandaged hand. “My luck is off the charts today. Even Kazuichi wants to help lowly scum like me…”

“Of course I’m going to help,” Kazuichi groaned, scratching his head. “Sheesh, you haven’t changed much.”

“In this situation, that can be considered a good thing, correct?” Sonia reasoned, pressing a hand to her chest. “Nagito did not wake up as an Ultimate Despair. That must mean that the others will retain their game memories as well.”

“This really is some crazy miracle…” Fuyuhiko said, stunned.

“This is the result of our battle against despair,” Nagito said. “We won! I was wrong to doubt all of you in the end… but I guess everything worked out for the better.”

He shakily stood up from the pod, looking around the room. Hajime walked over and grabbed Nagito’s hand to help him regain his balance. Sonia had the same idea, rushing over to steady Nagito on the other side. They led him out of the building together, taking turns reminding Nagito that he needed to get some rest and recover his health. Something about the scene made Fuyuhiko feel stiff and out of place.

He knew he wasn’t the only person who depended on Hajime. Everyone did.

He figured that his connection with Hajime couldn’t be much different than anyone else’s. Hajime was the center of their group. It was only natural to feel so attracted to him. That was what he told himself to keep their relationship from becoming more complicated than he intended it to be.

He knew that was only an empty lie, though.


	3. A Plan

Once Nagito woke up, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the class began to do the same. Gundham was the second to wake up. He stiffly rose out of his pod and mumbled something about his hamsters before running out of the room to look for them. The third to wake up was Peko.

Fuyuhiko was at her side the moment it happened. He struggled not to cry like he did when he saw her off in the game, but it was a wasted effort as the tears flowed regardless. Peko simply smiled at him, greeting him with open arms. In between his mumbled apologies and her quiet reassurances, Hajime stood behind them, watching with glossy eyes.

Once their tears were dry, Hajime helped them both back to the building. Peek seemed troubled and disoriented as they explained all that had happened while she was comatose. Fuyuhiko understood all too well how lost she felt as she came to realize the truth of what they had went through on Jabberwock Island. They’d set her up in a vacant room and left her to adjust to both her thoughts and her new surroundings. In the meantime, they got started on pulling together a meal to celebrate.

“You can go back and talk to her alone,” Hajime said as he chopped carrots. “I know there’s a lot you need to say, and I can handle making a soup by myself.”

“That can wait,” Fuyuhiko insisted, helping prepare the ingredients. “Besides, I’m not leaving all of the work to you.”

“But-“

“Focus on the soup, Hajime,” He grumbled.

“Alright, alright,” Hajime conceded, putting some ingredients in the pot on the stove. “Aren’t you just nervous to talk to her, though?”

“Huh?! Why the hell would I be nervous? Stop making shit up.”

Hajime smiled knowingly. “You look tense and you keep messing with your tie.”

Fuyuhiko stopped in the middle of gripping at his tie with his free hand. He pursed his lips together and stared down at the floor, cursing under his breath. Sometimes he forgot how perceptive Hajime could be.

“You’re still hung up over the way Peko died in the game, aren’t you?” Hajime asked, craning his neck forward to get a better look at his face. “It’s like you don’t know what to say to her.”

“Dammit,” Fuyuhiko forced a smirk, trying to keep his cool. “Are you a mind reader or something?”

Hajime seemed pleased as he stirred the mixture in the pot. “Maybe.”

Fuyuhiko set his knife down. “Fine. I don’t have a fucking clue what to say to her.”

“You’re thinking about it too hard,” Hajime replied softly. “Peko isn’t holding anything against you. I don’t think she has any regrets… she was only doing was she thought was best for you.”

“I know that,” Fuyuhiko grimaced. “I should be thanking her, shouldn’t I?”

“Yeah,” Hajime nodded. “And then you should move on, Fuyuhiko. It’s all over now, so you don’t need to beat yourself up over what happened in the game. I’m sure Peko has already moved on, too.”

“That’s easier said than done,” Fuyuhiko sighed. “I still have to Mahiru to deal with, too.”

“You can think about that once she wakes up. For now, concentrate on what’s in front of you.”

Fuyuhiko grabbed a potato and started peeling it. “So, the soup.”

Hajime laughed. “That’s not a bad place to start.”

They continued chopping and stirring until the meal was done. The soup was neatly served in eight bowls that they would leave for the others to grab while they brought Peko her serving. When they found her, she was sitting in the middle of her room, meditating.

“Peko,” Fuyuhiko knelt down, setting the bowl in front of her. “You hungry?”

“I’ll eat,” She replied, opening her eyes.

  
“Good,” Fuyuhiko sat down with his legs crossed, frowning at her. “Take care of yourself. You were sleeping for a hell of a long time.”

“I will be fine,” She assured him. Her focus then shifted to Hajime, who properly sat down next to Fuyuhiko.

Hajime grinned sheepishly, trying to lighten the mood. “How are you feeling, Peko? Aside from hungry, I guess.”

“I admit, my mind is somewhat unclear,” Peko stated, grabbing her spoon. “I’m still trying to process the fact that everything we experienced in that world was… fake, in every sense of the word.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Hajime scratched his head. “Everything that happened in there had real consequences. We’d all still be Ultimate Despair if it wasn’t for that.”

“You have a point,” Peko agreed. “Everything has changed greatly. Perhaps that’s the part that has me feeling dazed.”

“Of course you’re going to feel like that, after the all the shit we went through! Godammit, Peko,” Fuyuhiko seethed, clenching his fists. “You died in there.”

“I did what I had to,” Peko affirmed.

“You didn’t have to do any of it.”

“Young Master,” She spoke calmly. “It’s okay.”

“How could it be okay…?” Fuyuhiko winced, looking up at her. “It’s not, and I’m sorry, Peko. I fucked up back there.”

Peko seemed surprised for a moment. “You don’t have to apologize to me. I’m merely your servant.”

“Like hell I’m going to let you go back to that ‘I’m a tool’ garbage,” Fuyuhiko spoke bitterly. “You’re one of my bodyguards, and you’re important to me.”

He swallowed hard, then hung his head and continued in a quieter voice than usual. “I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me. Thank you for staying by my side… and I’ll be a damn good boss from now on. Better than ever.”

Peko’s eyes widened and she appeared to be at a loss for words. Hajime watched Fuyuhiko with a fond expression. He reached over to put a hand on his shoulder, then squeezed it gently as if to say _‘You’re doing great’_.

Peko set her spoon back in the bowl, a warm smile on her face. “It is an honor to work with you, Young Master Fuyuhiko.”

Fuyuhiko’s entire body relaxed as he managed to crack a small smile back. “The pleasure’s mine.”

“However,” Peko said hesitantly. “Going by what you’ve told me of our situation, the entire Kuzuryu clan is… gone, aren’t they?”

Fuyuhiko crossed his arms. “They’re almost definitely all dead.”

Peko grimaced. “Our home…”

Hajime gave her a sympathetic look. “It’s not the end, though. I know there isn’t a way to bring back the people you lost… but the clan can be rebuilt. We can make this work.“

“‘We’?” Peko pondered, furrowing her eyebrows.

Fuyuhiko set his lips in a hard line and elbowed Hajime, who snapped his mouth shut to prevent himself from letting anything else slip out. Their exchange didn’t go unnoticed by Peko's sharp eyes.

“I have wondered this since I woke up,” She noted. “But you two seem to be attached to each other. Did I miss something while asleep?”

Hajime awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “‘Attached’? I don’t know if I’d put it like that…”

“I have not seen you leave Young Master’s side once yet.”

“Oh,” Hajime uttered, embarrassed. “I guess not.”

As much as it entertained Fuyuhiko to see Hajime flustered, he was starting to feel as self-conscious as he was. It certainly didn’t help that Peko was staring at him so intensely that it felt like she could burn a hole right through him.

“What’s so strange about me being with Hajime?” Fuyuhiko grumbled.

“That isn’t what I meant,” Peko replied, not once wavering her gaze from them. “Something is different from what I remember.”

“You’re imagining things,” He remarked. “Nothing’s different.”

“I’ll take that as your answer,” She responded with a hint of amusement to her voice. “What is your answer, Hajime?”

“Me?” Hajime blinked owlishly. He turned to Fuyuhiko for help, who sucked in a breath, defeated.

“Tell her, Hajime.”

They both watched Hajime expectantly, waiting for him to speak. He froze up and smiled tensely, stalling in the minutes that it took him to choose his words.

“Well,” He spoke. “We’ve both changed a lot. After you died in the game, Fuyuhiko wanted to reconnect with the group so that we could all survive together. It seemed impossible at the time, but somehow, we escaped the game stronger than before. I did what I could to support him, and since we’re back in the real world, I want to do even more-”

“Hajime,” Fuyuhiko cut him off, a slight blush dotting his cheeks. “You’re rambling. Get to the point.”

“Right,” Hajime cleared his throat, taking on a more serious tone. “Long story short, I’m a part of the Kuzuryu clan now.”

Peko’s jaw nearly dropped. “You’re what?”

“He’s one of my bodyguards,” Fuyuhiko declared. “I’ve already started training him.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to hide her displeasure. “Young Master, I’m in no place to questions your decisions…but I worry that Hajime is unsuited to this job.”

“Then I’ll work until I _am_ suited to it,” Hajime argued, more insistent than usual. “I know it won’t be easy, but I’m prepared to do whatever it takes.”

Peko crossed her arms in thought. She then slowly nodded her head. “I like your determination.”

Hajime perked up. “Does that mean you’re ok with it?”

“I will accept whatever my Young Master decides,” She clarified. “Though I don’t mind teaching you until you become acceptable by my standards too.”

“Thanks, Peko,” Hajime said with an exhale of relief. “I won’t let either of you down.”

“I already know that,” Fuyuhiko added, pleased. “Now that Peko’s here, you’re going to have a hell of a time keeping up during training. Do your best.”

Hajime grinned. “Count on it.”

* * *

 

Later that night, Fuyuhiko sat alone in Jabberwock Park. The park wasn’t a far walk from the administrative building and it was a great way to escape the noise from the rest of the group. As relieved as he was that three more of their classmates had recovered, he almost missed the peace of the island when it was only the five of them.

A quiet night at the park was perfect for clearing his mind, too. He’d assumed that once Peko woke up, his worries would clear up and stop uselessly stressing him out. Things didn’t exactly go as planned, and so here he was, staring at the strange statue in the middle of the park while his mind ran at a hundred miles a minute.

Earlier that day, he was able to talk to Peko alone. Hajime had left the room to check on the others once he heard Kazuichi scream loudly about Akane trying to eat all the food (and Gundham evidently trying to use his portion for some kind of demonic ritual to make the others wake up faster).

“You have a lot of faith in him,” Peko had said once Hajime ran out. “He’s the first person I’ve seen you accept into the clan.”

Fuyuhiko rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s official. We’ve done the sakazuki.”

Peko raised an eyebrow at him. “You drank sake?”

“Fuck no,” Fuyuhiko scowled, though ashamed at his own lack of fortitude. “We used a water bottle.”

Peko seemed amused. “Fair enough.”

“Hajime is a good man,” Fuyuhiko said confidently. “We can trust him.”

“I know that very well,” Peko closed her eyes pensively. “I’m merely surprised. The Fuyuhiko I remember loathed interacting with outsiders, especially as closely as you do with Hajime. You’ve even gone so far as to put your life in his hands.”

“I’ve grown up,” Fuyuhiko muttered. “That’s all.”

“Is that truly all?” She asked. “I don’t mean to sound forward, but Hajime seems like a special case to you.”

  
“What do you mean by that?”

Peko rested her hands in her lap. “Perhaps that is something you should think on yourself, Young Master. In the meantime, I am prepared to train him as best I can to become a part of the family.”

The way she spoke made Fuyuhiko feel oddly vulnerable. As usual, he felt like Peko saw right through any front he tried to put up. It was a trait that proved valuable in battle when she needed to read his movements, but irritating at other times when he preferred to hide the way he was feeling.

“Right,” He replied stiffly. “Thanks, Peko.”

He wasn’t able to concentrate well after that conversation. He’d paced around the building about ten times before he realized how stupid he probably looked, and went back inside to eat with a similar amount of distraction. Dinner was as hectic as he’d expected it to be. Gundham stubbornly sat alone and uttered curses under his breath to make up for his ritual being stopped. Nagito started a heated debate with the others about whether or not the Nekomaru in the real world was a robot. Akane rambled the entire time about wrestling a bear with her bare hands, and no one dared to doubt her for even a second, mostly because the situation didn’t seem all that unrealistic so long as it was coming from her. Fuyuhiko stole glances at Hajime in between spoonfuls of soup, trying to figure out what could possibly be so different about him.

In the end, he came up with nothing. He would’ve liked to chalk up Peko’s words to her misunderstanding a situation she only recently came to know, but he knew she wasn’t wrong. Hajime was his first real friend and probably the most important person in his life at this point.

Hajime was a better friend to him than he could possibly deserve, and Fuyuhiko hated it that he always seemed to want more from Hajime.

“I knew I’d find you here,” A familiar voice called out from behind him.

Fuyuhiko turned around, now face to face with Hajime, who amicably held out a cup of tea towards him.

“Want it?” He beckoned for him to take it. “It’s ginseng.”

Fuyuhiko took the cup, comforted by the warmth it offered as he held it in his hands. “Shouldn’t you be inside, stopping Gundham from turning the cafeteria into a temple or something?”

“Nah,” Hajime took a sip of his own tea. “Peko has it covered, and I wanted to come out to give you some good news.”

“What is it?”

“Ibuki woke up a little while ago,” He said, smiling contentedly. “She’s already back to being as energetic as she was in the game.”

“Great,” Fuyuhiko replied sarcastically, though he really was as pleased about it as Hajime was. “Now I’ll get a damn headache from all the noise.”

“It’s not that bad,” Hajime offered. “That conversation about robot Nekomaru was pretty interesting.”

“Spare me the details.”

“If you say so,” He teased.

Fuyuhiko drank some tea, comforted by the hint of honey that Hajime added to sweeten it for him. Being alone with him like this, he wondered if something so simple was all that was ever needed to clear his mind.

“Peko talked to me for while about the training we’d do tomorrow,” Hajime said with a sigh. “You weren’t kidding. I don’t know if I’ll be able to move after everything she has planned.”

“You’ll be fine,” Fuyuhiko smirked. “You’re pretty good at taking a beating.”

“Not the best compliment I’ve ever gotten.”

“You’ll live,” He replied smugly.

Hajime stifled a laugh and walked along the path back to the building with him. “I’m going to miss running around the beach with you in the mornings.”

Fuyuhiko scratched his head. “It’s not like I did much running in the first place.”

“You’ve improved, though.”

“It’s nothing compared to you. Hope’s Peak really screwed around with your body to get you to be this athletic, compared to what you were like on the island.”

“At least I don’t look much different,” Hajime said, nodding to himself. “It’s weird because I feel like the same person I always was, but I get much less tired while I exercise, and I have muscle memory for things like playing the piano, when I couldn’t do it before.”

Fuyuhiko frowned. “And Izuru?”

Hajime stared down at his tea. “I still feel him there sometimes. It’s gotten a lot better since we became roommates, though.”

“Good,” He said, relieved. “It’s not worth losing sleep over.”

“You’re one to talk,” Hajime said with a knowing look.

“What?”

“You seem distracted lately,” He spoke worriedly. “Is something stressing you out?”

“Not really,” Fuyuhiko lied, trying to change the subject. “It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

Hajime drew his brows together and stopped. He then gulped down the last of his tea and pointed accusingly at Fuyuhiko with his free hand.

“Who’s my boss?” He asked, imitating Fuyuhiko’s brash manner of speaking.

“Uh,” Fuyuhiko blinked at him. “What kind of stupid question is that supposed to be?”

Hajime simply repeated himself, more loudly this time. “ _Who’s_ my boss?”

Fuyuhiko gave up, knowing Hajime wouldn’t rest until he played along with the charade.

“That would be me, dumbass.”

“Exactly,” Hajime commented. “And what’s my job?”

“You’re my bodyguard.”

“Right again. What is your bodyguard supposed to do?”

Fuyuhiko pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “Protect me.”

“So,” Hajime rubbed at his chin while he talked. “You could say that my job is to worry about you.”

“Look, Hajime, you don’t have to do this as a part of your job-“

“It’s not just that,” He asserted firmly. “I want to help you as your friend, Fuyuhiko.”

Fuyuhiko looked up at the night sky to avoid meeting Hajime’s determined gaze. His chest felt tight, constrained with how undeniably indebted he felt to him.

“To be honest,” Hajime continued, stopping to watch the stars with him. “You’re my best friend.”

Fuyuhiko felt his breath leave him for a few seconds. He whipped his head around to get a good look at Hajime, as if to be sure he was still there, and that this wasn’t the result of his clouded mental state. Hajime noticed him staring and turned back to face him with a grin.

“What’s that look for? I don’t know I’ve ever seen you look so confused.”

Fuyuhiko instinctively wrapped his fingers around his own tie, his eyes now fixated on some flowers near their feet. “Why the hell would you consider me your best friend?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Hajime countered. “Our relationship doesn’t have to change now that I’m your underling.”

Fuyuhiko walked a few steps ahead of him, holding tightly onto his cup of tea.

“You’ve thought of me as your best friend the whole damn time?” He asked, stunned.

“Pretty much,” Hajime answered, following a few steps behind him. “Since a little before we left the virtual world.”

“Why?”

“Do I need a reason? You’re making it more complicated than it needs to be.”

“Alright,” Fuyuhiko sighed. “I’ll accept it for what it is, not that I have any fucking idea why you’d pick me.”

“Good enough,” Hajime mused, perking up.

He then easily walked over and hooked an arm around Fuyuhiko’s shoulders. Their considerable height difference made it so that Hajime had to tilt to the side a little to do so, but the motion seemed comfortable for him regardless. Fuyuhiko noted that to his surprise, it was the first time he didn’t tense up at physical contact with Hajime. He’d gotten used to it, and more than anything, it felt comfortable to him now, too.

“You’re not as bad of a person as you think, Fuyuhiko,” Hajime said softly, making each word clear. “I like hanging out with you.”

He stopped walking forward once they reached the beach near the building, then continued talking. “You’re a good person and a great boss. So, please… stop hating yourself over your mistakes in the past. It’s all over, and you’re doing your best to change.”

Fuyuhiko stared out at the ocean, unsure what to make of the conflicting emotions he was experiencing. Hajime’s words were nothing but comforting, but at the same time, the heat he felt from hearing them suffocated him. He was at a loss for how to respond to it. He remembered how hard it was when he wanted to speak to Peko earlier that day, and though the emotions that came with the two situations were entirely different, he’d worked up enough courage to convey the same basic feeling out loud.

“Thank you,” He uttered. “Hajime.”

Hajime tightened his grip on him, watching him like he wanted to ease his struggle. After a minute, he opened his mouth to speak, though for once, the words didn’t seem to come out for Hajime either. They were silent for a few, slow seconds, when a voice cut through the thickness in the air.

“Yoohoo! Hajime! Fuyuhiko!”

Ibuki came bounding towards them, frantically waving her hands in the air. She skidded to quick halt merely a foot or two away from them and greeted them with an energetic salute.

“Ibuki’s back! I already said my hellos to everybody except for Baby Gangster over here-“

She stopped mid-sentence once she realized what position they were in. She tilted her head curiously. “Whoa… I missed a whole lot, didn’t I? I’ve never seen you two so close before!”

Embarrassed, Fuyuhiko pulled out of Hajime’s grasp. “It’s not a big deal. Shouldn’t you be resting anyway?”

“Resting?” Ibuki chirped. “As if! Ibuki is feeling better than ever! Give me a guitar and I’m ready to roll!”

Hajime was clearly disappointed when Fuyuhiko moved away, but managed to smile back at her. “That’s great, Ibuki. You should try taking it easy, though. Your mind may not feel it, but it takes a few days for your body to get used to regular movement again.”

“Psh, you totally underestimate me, Hajme! I can take on the world-“

“Not today, you won’t.”

Peko was on her way out of the building, a cross look on her face. Ibuki knew what was coming next. She swallowed hard and laughed nervously, pointing to the building.

“Actually, Ibuki’s suddenly feeling super tired! Time to go to bed.”

With that, she dashed back into the building at full speed while Peko nodded with approval.

“You’ve certainly got everyone whipped into shape,” Hajime noted.

Peko sighed. “Our class is quite the… disjointed group. Now that we only have each other to depend on, it’s best that we all learn a little self-discipline.”

“Good luck turning these idiots into a proper team,” Fuyuhiko scoffed. “It’s practically impossible for Nagito, and I’d rather get shot in the head than work with Teruteru.”

“Hey now,” Hajime held up his hands in defense. “Let’s be optimistic. We all have a common goal, and that’s to beat despair for our own sakes, right? Once everyone’s awake, we’ll make it happen.”

“I guess,” Fuyuhiko begrudgingly agreed. “We don’t have a choice but to cooperate.”

“And then there’s the matter of the clan,” Peko said, adjusting her glasses. “It will take time to rebuild it from the ground up. We’ll need a lot more than just the three of us.”

Hajime seemed lost in his own thoughts. “What if we didn’t need to look too far to find clan members?”

Fuyuhiko observed him, trying to follow his thought process. “Meaning… what? It’s not like there are yakuza hiding on the island, waiting for me to hire them.”

Hajime smirked slowly. “They’re not hiding, Fuyuhiko.”

It took Fuyuhiko another minute to fully understand what he was getting at. “Holy shit… don’t tell me you’re talking about our classmates…”

“Think about it,” Hajime said with gusto, trying to convince them despite the displeased looks he got in return. “There are people in our class who’d really help! We all know Akane can battle better than anyone. Nekomaru can both fight and manage a team of people. Plus, Mikan is a nurse, and maybe Kazuichi can help with weapons and machinery…”  
“Wait, Hajime,” Fuyuhiko cut in, rubbing his temples. “This is the shittiest idea I’ve ever heard! You know what our class is like! They’re all idiots!”

“Don’t say that,” Hajime chided him. “They can handle themselves… for the most part. And we wouldn’t be bringing in everyone, just anyone who’s interested.”

“This still sounds like a fucking disaster…”

“Actually,” Peko interrupted. “He isn’t wrong.”

“You too, Peko?!”

“He raises some good points,” She explained. “And the matter of fact is that the clan will not run without more people. If we remain weak like this, it is unlikely that we’d even be able to recruit new people from the mainland.”

“Dammit,” Fuyuhiko grumbled, biting his lip in frustration. “I hate it that you’re both right….”

Hajime nudged him. “So… you’ll try and recruit people from our class.”

“Maybe,” He said, the corner of his mouth twitching. “If I feel like they’ll be useful.”

“Great!” Hajime said with satisfaction. “I’ll help you out. We can start asking around tomorrow and see where it gets us.”

“Probably nowhere.”

“Be more positive,” He insisted eagerly. “Things will work out.”

“You always say that.”

Hajime only smiled in response. It was one of Fuyuhiko’s favorite expressions to see on him- a bright, wide smile that was full of hope for the future. As much as he grumbled about the idea of working with his classmates, it wasn’t half bad for a strategy. He’d rather not admit it, but he wanted to try this crazy plan out, if only just to keep Hajime happy.

He wanted to protect Hajime and that smile as much as Hajime wanted to protect him, and it wasn’t so bad a feeling, if he was being honest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback- it's really helped me find my direction for this story! I wanted to add a quick translation note at the end here, since I don't like the way the localization translated sakazuki:
> 
> Sakazuki is the ritual of exchanging sake cups as a means of pledging loyalty to someone, and in this case, it is done when a yakuza boss accepts an underling. Hajime and Fuyuhiko did this in their last Free Time Event together, though not exactly the traditional way as Fuyuhiko doesn't like alcohol, haha. The interesting thing about sakazuki is that it is similarly done at wedding ceremonies to signify the bond between the new couple! So I think it's important to know how highly Fuyuhiko regards Hajime in having him do this with him.


End file.
